Toy bubble generator

ABSTRACT

A bubble producing toy adapted for use on bicycles, scooters, and other such vehicles to produce a trailing stream of lighweight bubbles. A housing mounts a reservoir therein to receive and store a bubble-producing liquid, such as soapy water, and a generator fan raises films of the bubble-generating fuel into position to be contacted by fan generated air and to be blown from the housing through restricted orifices.

[ Oct. 21, 1975 United States Patent 191 Corbett TOY BUBBLE GENERATOR 3,100,947 8/1963 46/8 [76] Inventor: James C. Corbett, 833 Roberta St., 3708909 H1973 wmston 46/7 Salt Lake City, Utah 841 1 1 May 17, 1974 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant ExaminerJ. Q. Lever [22] Filed:

[21] APPL 470,818 Attorney, Agent, or FirmCriiddle & Thorpe [57] ABSTRACT A bubble producing toy adapted for use on bicycles, scooters, and other such vehicles to produce a trailing stream of lighweight bubbles. A housing mounts a res- [56] References Cited ervoir therein to receive and store a bubble-producing UNITED STATES PAT liquid, such as soapy water, and a generator fan raises films of the bubble-generating fuel into position to be contacted by fan generated air and to be blown from the housing through restricted orifices.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures r e os g ye .mmw m KFNMJ 678 55556 99999 111.11 l/ll/ 43626 I. 58207 200924 ,9 76427 43968 5 1 3 22222 [1.3. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 TOY BUBBLE GENERATOR BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION fice. A great many toys have been developed that will allow a child to generate bubbles either singly or individually. However, I am not aware of any such toy that has been developed to allow generation of the bubbles as a result of vehicular movement. I

I am also not aware of any bubble-generating devices 1 that have been developed in the past whereby a fan is turned to both develop a film of bubble-producing material and an air stream that ,will entrain the bubbleproducing material to make bubbles of desired size.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Principal objects of the present invention are to provide a bubble-generating toy that can be conveniently mounted on a bicycle or other moving vehicle, and that will generate a continuing moving stream of bubbles of desired size.

Other objects are to provide such a bubblegenerating device that is of low cost and that does not require any attention during its use.

Still other objects are to provide a bubble-generating device in which a large volume of bubble-producing material can be stored in a pivoted reservoir and that will continually introduce small amounts of the bubble generating material into an airflow stream, to be formed into bubbles. V

Principal features of the invention include an attractive outer housing having a bubble-forming material storage reservoir therein. A spur gear is mounted on the housing with a portion of the gear extending into the housing and into the bubble-forming material contained within the housing. Holes through the spur gear provide means for picking up small amounts of the bubble-forming material as the spur gear is rotated.

A fan blade is mounted within the housing, adjacent to an air intake scoop such that air entering into the housing will turn the fan blade. Drive gears interconnect the fan blade and the spur gear so that rotation of the fan blade will also rotate the spur gear. Air passing through the housing intake and the fan blade then moves through the openings in the spur gear, to pick up a film of bubble-producing material that has accumulated in the spur gear openings. An orifice plate, profrom the housing.

Additional objects and features of the invention will 'become apparent from the following detailed description and drawings, disclosing what is presently contemplated as being the best mode of the invention.

THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a bicycle, with rider thereon, having a bubble-generator of the invention provided thereon;

FIG. 2, an enlarged perspective view of the bubble generator, with the housing and a portion of the bubble-generatingmaterial reservoir 'cut away to show the various components;

FIG. 3, a vertical, longitudinal'section, taken on line 3-3 of FlG. 2-.

DETAILED, DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings:

In the'illustrat'ed preferred embodiment, the bubble generator shown, generally at 10, includes a housing 11 5 that is preferably of a tapered or torpedo configuration.

The housing 11 is open at a front end, and has an air scoop 12 fixed thereto. Air scoop 12 has one leg 12a providing a smoothly extending extension to the forward end of housing 11 and an inturned leg l2bthat provides a guide for air enteringthe housing 11.

A fan l3 is mounted to have its blades 13a positioned im mediately'behind the leg 12b of air scoop l2. The-fan blade is fixed to one end of a shaft 14(FIG. 3) that is journaled through a cross brace I S'that extends diametrically across the leg 1211. A gear 16 is mounted on the end of shaft l4 opposite to the fan and on the opposite sideof cross brace 15. v L Gear l6"is in' injesh with a gear l7 that i's affi'xed to one end of adrive shaft 18LTheidrive shaft 18 isjour naled through'upwardly extending lugs 19 and 20 and 20a. The other end or shafmslias'a gear2'lfixed thereto, and gear 21 is in mesh with a spur gear 23 that has its ce ntral axis 25 journaled through the lug's20 and 2'0q as theyproject from the top of a reservoir 26.

Reservoir 26 comprises a generallyclosed housing that is secured tothe bottom portion of housing '11 by pins 26a projecting from the upper portion of the ends of the housing through posts 26b. filler spout 27 is provided in the upper end of reservoi'r 26 and a cap 28 is arranged to snap into and close the" filler 'spo'ut. A lower portion of spur gear 23 extends through an opening 29 through the upperhousing inr'es ervoir 26 and into a lower portion of the reservoir. The reservoir will pivot on pins 26a as the housing turns. Thus, since the pinsare high onthe reservoir, the cente r' of gravity of ,the reservoir is below the pins and will remain there as the housi ng is" turned. The reservoir will therefore stay upright and there will not be leakage out through the opening for gear 23. I V

I Holes30 are provided through the spur gear 23, interiorly of the gear teeth, so that as the gear is rotated the holes are sequentially moved intothe reservoir where a thin film 'of bubble-producing material within the reservoir is formed across the openings. Continued rotation of the gear 23 will then sequentially rotate holes 30, with a film of bubble-producing material thereacross, out of the reservoir 26.

The end of housing 11 opposite to air scoop 12 is closed with an orifice plate 32. The orifice plate 32 has a series of holes 33 provided therethrough, and the holes are preferably of differing sizes, so that, as will be hereinafter explained, bubbles of different sizes will be formed. The plate 32 includes a portion 32a that extends into the housing 11 to seal the'ho'using, and a flared portion 32b that extends from the housing 11 The portion 32a is frictionally fit into the housing 11 and can be withdrawn to allow bubble-producing material to be poured through thefiller spout 27 and into reservoir 26. it will be understood that a soap and water mixture is the preferred form of bubble-forming material, but that other materials can possibly be used.

In practice, the bubblegenerator is mounted on a vehicle (such as the bicycle 35 shown in FIG. 1) such that the air scoop 12 is at a forward end of the bubble generator when the vehicle is in motion. As the vehicle moves, the air moving into the housing 11 through air scoop 12 rotates the fan blades 13a and the gear 16 attached thereto. As the gear l6'rotates it turns gear 17 and shaft 18 to rotate the gear 21 and the opposite end thereof. ,As gear 21 turns, it rotates spur gear 23 is sequentially move the holes 30 into and out of the reservoir 26. As each hole 30 sequentially emerges from the reservoir 26 the film of soap and water solution or other bubble-forming material in the hole 30 is blown into a bubbleand carried by the air passing through the housing 1 l to, the holes 33 through the plate 32. As the air containing the entrained bubbles passes through the holes 33, the entrained bubbles form films across the holes33 and are subsequently re-formed into bubbles having sizes determined by the sizes of holes 33. The bubbles-formed as the air moves through the holes 33 arereleased to form a trailing stream behind the travelingyehicle,

While not shown, it will be apparent that thejfan 13 can also bemade to be independently powered by a powersourcesuch as a battery, or a flexible cable drive to the vehicle wheelsor other drive mechanism.

I Although apreferred form of my invention has been herein disclosed, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is by way ofexample, and that variations are possible wi thout departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of thefollowingclaims, which subject matter I regard as my invention;

. i claim: i 1-, Abubblegenerator comprising a housing having inlet and outlet openings through opposite ends thereof;

reservoir in the housing adapted to contain bubbleforming liquid;

a spurgear in the housing, having teeth around the periphery thereof and openings therethrough radi- :ally spaced inside the teeth and "adapted to be moved into and out of the reservoir, whereby a film A of bubble-forming liquid is formed across each said opening as it moves into and out of said reservoir, when said reservoir has bubble-forming liquid therein; 1 I an; orifice plate spaced from said spur gear and posi- "tioned in the outlet opening of the housing, said orifice plate having a plurality of openings of differ- [ent therethrough; and means in the housing, including a fan having a fan 7 ,blade coupled to said spur gear, whereby rotation of the fan blade rotates the said spur gear to force air through said opening, such that bubble-forming liquid entrained in the air is carried through at least one opening in the orifice plate to form bubbles at the side of the orifice plate opposite to the spur gear. 2. A bubble generator comprising a housing having inlet and outlet openings at opposite ends thereof; a reservoir adapted to contain a bubble-forming liquid in the housing; means for pivotally suspending the reservoir in the 7 housing whereby the bubble-forming liquid in the reservoir is maintained below the means for pivotally suspending the reservoir even if the housing is tipped; means having at least one opening therethrough adapted to be moved into and out of the reservoir, whereby a' film of bubble-forming liquid is formed across each said opening as it moves into and out of the reservoir, when said reservoir has bubbleforming liquid therein; and means for forcing air through each said opening, such that bubble-forming liquid is entrained in the air. 3. A bubble generator as in claim 1, further including an orifice plate positioned in the outlet opening of the housing and having'at least one opening therethrough which air having bubble-forming liquid entrained therein will pass to form bubbles at the side of the orifice plate opposite to the opening adapted to be moved into and out of the bubble-forming liquid.

4. A bubble generator as in claim 3, wherein the means for forcing air through each opening through the orifice plate includes a fan blade positioned near the inlet of the housing. 5 A bubble generator as in claim 3 wherein the inlet of the housing is formed as an air scoop. 6. A bubble generator as in claim 5, wherein the means having at least one opening therethrough adapted to be moved into and out of the reservoir comprises a spur gear'in the housing and carried by the reservoir, said spur gear having teeth aroundto the spur gear are all carried by said reservoir. 

1. A bubble generator comprising a housing having inlet and outlet openings through opposite ends thereof; a reservoir in the housing adapted to contain bubble-forming liquid; a spur gear in the housing, having teeth around the periphery thereof and openings therethrough radially spaced inside the teeth and adapted to be moved into and out of the reservoir, whereby a film of bubble-forming liquid is formed across each said opening as it moves into and out of said reservoir, when said reservoir has bubble-forming liquid therein; an orifice plate spaced from said spur gear and positioned in the outlet opening of the housing, said orifice plate having a plurality of openings of different therethrough; and means in the housing, including a fan having a fan blade coupled to said spur gear, whereby rotation of the fan blade rotates the said spur gear to force air through said opening, such that bubble-forming liquid entrained in the air is carried through at least one opening in the orifice plate to form bubbles at the side of the orifice plate opposite to the spur gear.
 2. A bubble generator comprising a housing having inlet and outlet openings at opposite ends thereof; a reservoir adapted to contain a bubble-forming liquid in the housing; means for pivotally suspending the reservoir in the housing whereby the bubble-forming liquid in the reservoir is maintained below the means for pivotally suspending the reservoir even if the housing is tipped; means having at least one opening therethrough adapted to be moved into and out of the reservoir, whereby a film of bubble-forming liquid is formed across each said opening as it moves into and out of the reservoir, when said reservoir has bubble-forming liquid therein; and means for forcing air through each said opening, such that bubble-forming liquid is entrained in the air.
 3. A bubble generator as in claim 1, further including an orifice plate positioned in the outlet opening of the housing and having at least one opening therethrough which air having bubble-forming liquid entrained therein will pass to form bubbles at the side of the orifice plate opposite to the opening adapted to be moved into and out of the bubble-forming liquid.
 4. A bubble generator as in claim 3, wherein the means for forcing air through each opening through the orifice plate includes a fan blade positioned near the inlet of the housing.
 5. A bubble generator as in claim 3 wherein the inlet of the housing is formed as an air scoop.
 6. A bubble generator as in claim 5, wherein the means having at least one opening therethrough Adapted to be moved into and out of the reservoir comprises a spur gear in the housing and carried by the reservoir, said spur gear having teeth around the periphery thereof and a plurality of openings therethrough radially spaced inside the teeth; the means for forcing air through the openings includes a fan blade at the inlet of said housing; and further including means coupling said fan blade to said spur gear, whereby rotation of the fan blade rotates the said spur gear.
 7. A bubble generator as in claim 6, wherein the orifice plate has a plurality of openings of different sizes therethrough.
 8. A bubble generator as in claim 6, wherein the spur gear and means for coupling the fan blade to the spur gear are all carried by said reservoir. 